Avoiding a Moving Scam

No one wants to think about the chance of a Moving Scam. You would never have one from our company. We have great respect both for you and your items. Check out these ways to protect yourself and your property.

Understanding a Moving ScamThe process itself is simple. Movers give you an estimate without a binding contract. They load the goods into their truck for you. After that they leave with your items and head towards the “destination”. Unfortunately that destination is their office or parking area. Once there you receive a call from the “Manager” that you will have to pay a large amount of money for your property.

Aren’t Moving Scams Illegal?They are illegal in many ways. So why does anyone commit this crime? Scammers take advantage of the fact that the “client” must provide evidence of the theft. Because of this they often have the client fill out forms giving them care of the items. These are flimsy at best. They count on the fact that most people need all the items in their house immediately.

The Rare Scam SuccessSome people do pay to get their items back. In these rare cases the movers leave the state with their money. Under no circumstances should you ever pay this fee to get your items back.

Deposit ScamsMany businesses that need a deposit are legitimate. They also have proper websites and contact info to manage these. There is one rare breed of scam-mover that takes your deposit and runs away. These are uncommon but it does happen. Make sure your deposit comes with a fair contract if you pay one. It’s the law and it is there to keep you safe.

Government InterventionUnited States authorities sometimes crack down on these scams. It is a good thing that they do. Police cannot be everywhere though. Because of this you will still see people try this scam from time to time. Since this is robbery and not violence they expect less jail time.

Anti-Scam MindsetsToday the term is so common that most people know of it. Despite that few people believe this will happen to them. Make sure to look over your mover’s record. If you cannot find anything about them online that means trouble. By keeping a positive but protective mindset you can keep yourself safe.

Why the Term “Doing Business As” is a Red FlagWhenever working with any group that uses a “DBA” it is best to find out why. Many companies and even nonprofits have good reasons for this. At the same time many unlicensed scammers also abuse the term. A good company will have some explanation about why they are using a DBA. Feel free to ask them about it as well.

Are the Movers Responsive?All our team members respond to your concerns as soon as they can. We want to hear what you have to say. We get back to most of our estimate requests within 30 minutes.

A Simple RuleRe-hiring movers you’ve worked with before helps avoid most of this trouble. We hope that we are already the group that you want to re-hire. If not, then try us out sometime for yourself.

We hope that you never fall victim to a moving scam. Perhaps you have your own story as well. Tell us about it in the comments. We love to learn from you as well.